A pretend proposal
For the unconventional heiress
When American heiress Violet Wilkins crosses paths with William, Duke of Charteris, she has extremely low expectations of the “Duke of Bore.” But when this seemingly stuffy aristocrat offers her escape from a dreadful arranged marriage, she leaps at the chance! To her surprise, the arresting Charles whisks Vi into an exhilarating make-believe romance. And as she gets to know the man behind the title, she can’t help wanting more…
Purchase Links
US - https://www.amazon.com/Playing-Dukes-Fianc%C3%A9e-Victorian-Historical-ebook/dp/B08WK59LL1
UK - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Playing-Dukes-Fianc%C3%A9e-Victorian-Historical-ebook/dp/B08WK59LL1
Review
Violet Wilkins can't imagine loving anyone as much as she loves photography but William, Duke of Bore Charteris is simply the most beautiful man she's ever met and she itches to capture him in frame.`She can't imagine they have anything in common but with her parents aiming to get their last daughter married off and scheming debutantes plotting to net themselves a duke, they agree to fake an engagement. As an American, she can never be the Duchess he thinks he needs, but her heart - and his - may have other ideas.
The first book in this series was a sumptous and low stakes read that piqued my interest in this sequel about Lily's sister Violet, especially with a fake relationship in the offering. This book stands alone, though Lily and her husband Aiden feature as prominent supporting characters.
One small tragedy of the First World War was that many of the respective European Heads of State were related, in contact, and still couldn't manage to resolve their differences. The reason they were all related? Queen Victoria married her children off all over Europe, and one of these weddings is the key event of this plot. Violet longs to document the wedding of Prince Albert, Duke of Edinburgh, and Grand Duchess Maria Alexandrovna of Russia, an event which Lily and Violet attend by dint of Lily's ducal marriage. I loved the change of setting and the descriptions are just gorgeous.
Violet's passion for photography leaps off the page and adds a layer of depth and interest to her interactions not only with William, but also the characters around them. I liked how William was supportive despite not sharing her hobby, and how Violet's photography directly influenced the plot.
There were a few plot threads that didn't tie up completely - why Violet's parents were so keen on arranging her engagement, nor what on earth is going on with their sister Rose (is it a future book?) but the overall romance is both entertaining and satisfying. For an enjoyable low-angst romance with a unique heroine and setting of both time and place, this is a good choice.
Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher via Rachel's Random Resources; all opinions are my own.
Author Bio
Amanda wrote her first romance at the age of sixteen--a vast historical epic starring all her friends as the characters, written secretly during algebra class (and her parents wondered why math was not her strongest subject...)
She's never since used algebra, but her books have been nominated for many awards, including the RITA Award, the Romantic Times BOOKReviews Reviewers' Choice Award, the Booksellers Best, the National Readers Choice Award, and the Holt Medallion. She lives in Santa Fe with a Poodle, a cat, a wonderful husband, and a very and far too many books and royal memorabilia collections.
When not writing or reading, she loves taking dance classes, collecting cheesy travel souvenirs, and watching the Food Network--even though she doesn't cook.
Amanda also writes as Laurel McKee for Grand Central Publishing, the Elizabethan Mystery Series as Amanda Carmack, and the Manor Cat Mystery Series as Eliza Casey.
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